The Svart Hona
The Ayam Cemani is a rare breed of chicken from Indonesia. They have a dominant gene that causes hyperpigmentation (fibromelanosis), making the chicken mostly black, including feathers, beak, and internal organs.
Black chicken meat proves to be more savory as compared to regular chicken meat. The black chicken meat has a soft texture compared to regular chicken meat and is also softer, tender, east-to-chew with an aromatic fragrance than the regular chicken meat.
The Ayam Cemani—an inky black chicken breed indigenous to Indonesia—is known by many names: among others, the “world's most bewitching chicken,” the “Lamborghini of poultry,” the “Goth chicken” and the “Sith Lord bird.”
This is a dominant genetic trait, known as fibromelanosis, in which the pigment melanin is distributed in the skin, connective tissue, muscles, organs, and bones, causing them all to be black or a very dark purplish-black. Probably the two best known black-skinned chicken breeds are Silkies and Ayam Cemanis.
Research suggests that the dark meat of black chicken breeds like the Kadaknath provides a rich source of carnosine. Carnosine is a protein-building compound that has antioxidant properties, so eating black chicken meat may be a healthier choice than white meat.
But the meat really doesn't taste different by nature; it's just chicken. The one difference, however, comes from the way the birds are raised.
To put it simply, black chickens are expensive because they are so rare. With only a handful of black breeds of chickens, they are far less prevalent than white chickens. On top of that, many of the black chicken breeds don't lay very many eggs.
Ayam Cemanis are the blackest chicken breed, as they are completely black inside and out. They lay cream coloured eggs. Jersey Giants lay light brown eggs. Orpingtons lay brown eggs.
Black Sex Linked chicks are produced by crossing a barred hen (such as a Barred Plymouth Rock) with a non-barred rooster. The male offspring will feather out like their mother, and the female offspring will be a solid color, typically black.
The high price of the Swedish Black chicken is mostly due to their rarity. To put into perspective this breed is much rarer than the Ayam Cemani and is one of the rarest in the world. Swedish Black chicken hatching eggs will cost about $13 per egg.
Being a rich source of iron, black chicken is a healthy addition to the diet of heart patients. It also boosts blood flow to the heart and prevents blood clots. Additionally, black chicken contains a lot of antioxidants that are anti-inflammatory which ultimately reduce the risk of heart disease,” she said.
Black chickens are expensive because of their rarity. Black chickens, like the most expensive chicken breed, the Ayam Cemani, are not prolific egg layers. While some breeds lay as many as 250 eggs a year, Ayam Cemani can only lay 60 eggs!
Originated from China, the black chicken is always a top favorite food of Vietnamese, especially those people who need more nutrition, due to its flavorful meat and high level of nutrition.
#8 – Swedish Black
They're a great cold weather breed because they lay eggs year-round. They're so pricey because they're difficult to find. This black chicken price is usually at least $100. If you happen to find laying eggs, they will be only $13 per egg.
The fact is that there is no chicken breed that lays black eggs. So if someone online tries to sell you a black egg at great cost, or if you see an image of a fresh black egg anywhere, rest assured - it was not laid by a chicken!
Purple eggs can only be laid by chickens who traditionally lay brown eggs. This means that any chicken with a genetic disposition for protoporphyrin IX can lay a purple egg. The shade of purple will depend on how thick the bloom is. The thicker the bloom, the darker the purple.
Ameraucanas & Easter Eggers
These breeds lay up to 300 eggs per year, and as a bonus, they're colorful. Ameraucanas lay bright blue eggs, and Easter Eggers can lay blue, green, cream, or even pink eggs. These breeds tend to be more flighty and frantic than other breeds, unless you handle them a lot as chicks.
Special Features: The Holland is the rarest American-bred chicken breed. It is a white-skinned, dual-purpose breed that is cold hardy and has the unique feature of being one of the only American-classed breeds that lays white eggs.
Many think the blood of the Ayam Cemani chicken is also black, just like the rest of the bird. This is a myth as the blood always runs red due to its hemoglobin content, just like all other chickens. Despite this, many people still mistakenly ask Ayam Cemani breeders to supply them with black-blooded chickens.
This rooster in Lorraine, France, is a rare breed called ayam cemani, which is black inside and out.
Its inky exterior is just a teaser for the darkness within. It turns out the bones, organs and muscles of the Ayam Cemani are all black as well. Only their eggs and blood are not steeped in the deep blue-black that make them the most-pigmented animals we know about — their eggs are cream-colored and their blood is red.
Silky Chicken is the most exotic chicken we sell. Its black skin, black meat and black bones are covered in snowy white feathers. Silkies can be roasted like a chicken or boiled into a tonic soup that Asians believe can strengthen the sick, elderly, and pregnant due to its “high iron” content.
Silkies owe their unusual black color to fibromelanosis, a rare genetic mutation of hyperpigmentation believed to have first arisen in China. Their Mandarin name, wu gu ji, means “dark-boned chicken;” the name silkie comes from their fluffy plumage which, lacking barbicels, looks and feels like fur.